How to Spit Shine Boots

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 10 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has also been viewed 80,554 times.
Learn more...

Having shiny boots is very important in occasions where wearing a formal military uniform is a necessity. It shows your dedication, showmanship, and reliability to that military or police corps you are in, or in the cadet program you are involved in. Knowing how to shine your boots is also quite important. There are two methods to properly shine military boots, and one of them is covered below.

With your hand that you are not going to use for polishing, stick your hand into the boot so your fist or fingers are at the toe of the boot. Rest the sole of the boot on your lap with the toe facing your other hand that is going to do the polishing.

With your hand in the boot as such, you are free to move the boot around so that you do not touch the polished area with your hands, creating unnecessary fingerprints and smudges.

Handle the boot so that the polished side will not be in your lap, but the sole of the boot (primarily the toe-tip sole) is in contact with your lap or knee most of the time.

With the damp cloth or cotton ball that you are still using, apply a thin fine layer of polish and keep with the circular motion until a hazy shine appears.

After application and drying the first heavy coat of polish fine amounts of polish need to be used to build up the shine. If you use too much polish, you'll dissolve the base you've built up instead of building on it.

Dip the cloth or cotton ball in the water again (keeping it from being dripping wet), and keep applying thin coats of wax to the boot, making sure you work them in uniformly along all parts of the boot that require shining as much as possible.

When the boot has finally reached its high gloss point, use a clean dry soft cloth (or another dry cotton ball) or a shining brush to give it a final buffing.

The shiniest part of your boot should be the toe from the laces forward, as this is the most visible and noticeable portion of your foot. The heel and sides doesn't have to be as shiny, as your stance and pant leg will hide most of it.

About This Article

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 10 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has also been viewed 80,554 times.